Limb-holding mechanism for dolls.



E. L. KAHLBR.

LIMB HOLDING MECHANISM FOR DOLLS. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27. 1013.

1,119,963, Patented Dec.8,1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 00.. PHOTO LITHOU WASHINGTON. D C.

EDWARD I1. KAHLER, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LIME-HOLDING- MECHANISM FOR DOLLS.

Application filed September 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. KAHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of'lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Limb-Holding Mechanism for Dolls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for yieldingly holding the limbs ot a doll in movable contact with the body, whereby such limbs may be adjusted and retained at any desired angle to the body.

I am aware of the fact that the limbs of dolls have heretofore been yieldingly held in place by metallic springs and also that a single piece of elastic rubber cord has been used in connection with a single wire rod for accomplishing a similar purpose, EX- perience, however, has proven that as heretofore constructed the wire soon cuts into the rubber cord when such device becomes defective and useless.

Bymy present improvement two separate elastic loops are employed in connection with two separate wires and the loops are formed by connecting the two opposing ends of a piece of elastic cord together by a fastening cord which cord is wound several times around such contiguous ends. lVhen the elastic loops are thus formed, the hooks of the connecting wires are inserted through the upper ends of said loops between and at the junction of the ends of the elastic cord, whereby the friction of the wires is brought to bear upon the winding cord between instead of directly against the surface of the elastic cord, whereby the liability of the loops becoming cut at their upper ends by the suspension wires is avoided. Heretofore the wires at the lower ends of the loops have been provided with a single coil whereby the loops are sometimes cut with the wire. By my improvements the wire at the lower ends of the loops is wound several times around them, whereby the liability of such loops becoming cut or worn by such wires is reduced to the minimum.

My invention is further explained by reference to the accompanying drawings. in which Figure 1 is a front view of a doll provided with my limb retaining mechanism, part broken away to show the manner of connecting such mechanism with the body and limbs of the doll. Fig. 2 is a front view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Serial No. 792,071.

of the limb retaining mechanism removed from the doll. Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the manner of connecting the suspension wires with the upper end of the elastic cords, said Fig. 3 being drawn on line wa: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a metallic link which is adapted to be connected with the lower ends of the links 2, 2, in case it be comes necessary to extend such links to correspond with the length of the limbs of dolls with which they are used. Fig. 5 is a front view of a tool employed in inserting the limb retaining mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a detailed view in vertical section of a modified form of limb attachment.

Like parts are identified by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

3 represents the body of a doll.

4t and 5 represent the lower limbs which are connected with each other and with the body by flexible joints (3 and 7. The members 1- and 5 are retained in contact with each other and with the lower end of the body by the elastic cords 8, 8, and metallic members 2, 2, 9 and 10. The metallic member 9 is connected with the neck 11 of the doll through the staple 12 and book 13 and the member 10 is connected with the member 9 through the book 14 and loop 15.

I am aware of the fact that a single elastic cord has heretofore been connected with the body of the doll and with both limbs. in which case the metallic hooks are brought in direct contact 'at several different points with the upper ends of said elastic loops whereby said elastic loops are liable to be very soon cut and worn away by contact with the metallic members. By my improvement, however, the upper ends of the loops 8 are connected together by winding cords 16, 16, and the hooks 17, 17 engage said winding cords at an intermediate point bctweenthe contiguous ends of such loops whereby the friction and wear of said hooks 1.7 against such loops is reduced to the minimum. I am also aware that elastic loops formed of a single piece of elastic cord have heretofore been connected with metallic members at their lower ends, which members pass but once around such elastic cords, but experience has proven that when metallic members have been thus connected with the elastic cords the elastic cords soon become out and worn by contact with such metallic members. By my improvement,

however, metallic members 2 are each proided with a plurality of coils 18, whereby additional contact surface is provided between said metallic members and elastic members, and whereby the friction and wear of such contiguous parts is reduced to the minimum. The lower end of the metallic members 2 is connected withthe lower members 5 of the limbs by loops 19 and hooks 20 when the elasticity of the elastic loops 8, 8 is such as to retain the contiguous portions of the limbs 4 and 5 and the body 3 in yielding contact. By this arrangement it will be understood that the limbs may be inclined at any desired angle to the vertical and the joints formed by the contiguous surfaces of the respective members of the limbs with each other and with the body will be yieldingly retained in contact. The lower ends of the members 2 are preferably provided with circular loops 21, whereby, in case it should become necessary to employ an additional link, to connect the members 2 with the lower member 5 of the limbs, such link may be engaged either in the loops 21 or the hooks 20, as the circumstances or various sizes of the dolls may require.

22 represents the link which is adapted to be connected with either the hook 20 or loop 21, when a shorter link is required the hook 23 is inserted through the loop 21. lVhen, however, a longer link is required the hook 23 is inserted through the hook 20, whereby two additional adjustments are provided by the use of the link 22. When the links 22 are used the hook 24 of each is inserted in the staple 19 of the respective members 5. The link 22 is also preferably provided with a central loop 25 which may, if desired, be placed upon the hook 20, whereby an additional adjustment is produced. In other words, by providing the member 2 with the loop 21 and the link 22 with the central loop 25, the metallic memhere with which the elastic loops 8 are connected with the lower members 5 of the limbs are capable of four different adjustments, corresponding respectively with the size and lengths of different dolls with which the mechanism is adapted to be used.

The novel feature of the tool shown in Fig. 5 resides in the fact that the upper end, 26, of the hook, 27, terminates directly beneath and in line with the vertical rod 28 of said tool, whereby the liability of the end of the hook, 26, engaging the interior mechanism of the body of the doll when being used is avoided. The object of the circular loops 21 is twofold. They have thus far been described as being employed as places of attachment for the extension member in case it should become necessary to use them in dolls of greater length. One of the primary objects, however, of the circular loops 21 is to facilitate stringing or connecting the limbs of a doll together. Experience has demonstrated that in practice the metallic members 2 and 40 are frequently accidentally released vfrom the hand of the workman when the connecting members are quickly drawn back into the limbs by the contraction of the elastic loops, in which case it often becomes necessary to disengage all the connecting parts and begin at the starting point to connect such members together. By the construction shown, however, the operator is able to engage the loop 21 against the edge of the inclosing limb when the wires and elastic members connected therewith are securely retained in place and prevented from being drawn up out of reach by the contraction of the elastic loops 8 or 41. Experience has also proven that when shipping dolls of large sizes with all the parts secured together the hands and feet of the doll frequently become broken. By my improvement, however, the hands and feet are readily disengaged from the lower ends of the stringing members by first drawing them downward far enough to engage the loops 21 beneath the edge of the inclosing limb, as shown in Fig. 1. Then this is done the hands or feet or both, as the case may be, may be readily disengaged from the stringing members and shipped in a separate box from the body of the doll, whereby the liability of such parts becoming broken in transportation is avoided and whereby when the dolls have reached their destination such members may be readily secured in place when the loops 21 are disengaged from the edge of the inclosing members and drawn back into place by the elasticity of t e non-metallic loops.

Heretofore it has been common to permanently connect the metallic members 2 with the limbs of a doll through a staple or pin in which case it becomes practically impossible to separate such connecting parts. By

the modified form, shown in Fig. 6, however, the metallic members 2 are provided with a fastening link 42 which is normally retained in a vertical position in alinement with such metallic members 2 by its own gravity preparatory to inserting it through the aperture 43 of the limbs. When it has been inserted through the aperture 48 the end 44 of said fastening link is brought in contact with the wall 45 of the limb, whereby said link 42 is brought to a horizontal position at right angles to the aperture, whereby the metallic members 2 are retained in connection with the limb so long as it is retained under the tension of the elastic loop. It will now be understood that when it is desired to disengage the fastening link 42, it is necessary simply to draw down the members 2 far venough to permit such link to turn into alinement with the members 2, when the link can be read ily withdrawn from the aperture 43 and the limb 5 removed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device for retaining the limbs of a doll in yielding contact with the body, the combination with the body of the doll of a plurality of separate non-metallic elastic members, a metallic link connected with the lower ends of each of said elastic members, means for connecting the lower ends of each of said links to the lower members of said limbs, each of said metallic links being provided with a circular loop, said loop being adapted when said lower limbs are disengaged from said metallic links to engage the lower edge of the surrounding limb and prevent said metallic members from being drawn up into such limbs.

2. In a device of the described class, the combination with the body and the lower limbs of a doll of two separate non-metallic elastic loops, a pair of metal links, each link connected at its lower end with the upper end of one of said non-metallic loops and the upper ends of the links having connection with the upper portion of the body of the doll, a second pair of metallic links, each connected at its upper end with the lower end of one of said non-metallic loops and at its lower end with the upper end of one of the lower members of the respective limbs of the doll.

3. In. a device of the described class, the combination with the body and the lower limbs of a doll of two separate non-metallic elastic loops, a pair of metal links, each link connected at its lower end with the upper end of one of said non-metallic loops and at its upper end with each other and the upper portion of the body of the doll, a second pair 0]": metal links each connected at its upper end. with the lower end of one of said non-metallic loops and at its lower end with the upper end of one of the lower members of the respective limbs of the doll, each of said metal links being provided with a plurality of circular loops adapted to engage the lower ends of said non-metallic elastic loops.

i. In a device of the described class, the combination with the body and lower limbs of a doll of two separate non-metallic elastic loops, each of said loops being formed of a single piece of elastic cord, the respective ends of said elastic cord being connected together by a binding cord, a pair of metallic links, each link connected at its lower end with the upper end of one of said non-metallic loops by hooks, which hooks engage the binding cord centrally between the contiguous ends of said elastic cord and at its'upper end with the upper portion of the body of the doll, a second pair of metallic links, each connected at its upper end with the lower end of one of said non-me tallic loops and at its lower end with the upper end of one of the lower members of the respective limbs of the doll, each of said second pair of links being provided with a circular loop adapted when said lower members are disengaged from said links to engage the lower edge of the inclosing limb.

5. In a device of the described class, the combination with the body and limbs of a doll of two separate non-metallic elastic loops, each of said loops being formed of a single piece of elastic cord, the respective ends of said elastic cord being connected together by a binding cord, a pair of metallic links, each link connected at its lower end with the upper end of one of said nonmetallic loops by hooks, which hooks engage the binding cord centrally between the contiguous ends of said elastic cord and at its upper end with each other and the upper portion of the body of the doll, a second pair of metallic links, each connected at its upper end with the lower end of one of said non-metallic loops and at its lower end with the upper end of one of the lower members of the respective limbs of the doll, each of said metallic links being provided at its upper end with a circular loop adapted to engage the lower ends of said non-metallic elastic loop and at its lower end with a circular loop adapted to perform the two-fold function comprising a place of attachment for an extension member, for larger dolls, and as a retain ng stop to engage the lower edge of the 111- closing limb.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

EDW'ARD L. KAIILER.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. ERWIN, IRMA D. Bnmunn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

